


through thick and thin

by inlovewithimpossibility



Series: Welcome to Starling Prep Elementary [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Hanukkah, Protective Siblings, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28367154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: adjusting to life in middle school takes some time for ada and william, but the final night of hanukkah and sharing their traditions with their baby sister is just what they need to come back together with their parents and remember how they got to where they are
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: Welcome to Starling Prep Elementary [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575094
Comments: 27
Kudos: 104





	through thick and thin

**Author's Note:**

> It seems like it's becoming a yearly tradition to return to these babies for the holidays, a tradition I am not going to complain about because I very much adore them! I'm so glad so many of you seem to love this verse as much as I do and I very much hope you enjoy this next installment <3

Felicity waits in the carpool lane, her leg bouncing with anticipation and excess energy as she watches the children pour out of the large, fancy doors that mark the entrance to Starling Prep Middle School. 

It still seems a little surreal to her to drive past the elementary school that holds so much value and history for their little family and pull up at the building next door, even after doing it for months now. William and Ada are firmly settled into sixth grade by now and Felicity can hardly believe it, they seem so big. It’s even more baffling to think that it won’t be long until they’re dropping Evie off there. 

The past few years have flown by. From meeting sweet William and Oliver on Ada’s first day of first grade to now their third child walking and talking and almost old enough for nursery… it’s all been the most glorious whirlwind and she wouldn’t change anything for the world. 

“You’re such a snitch! You know that, right? You’re just a big snitch and you belong back in elementary school.” 

_ Okay… maybe there are some things she would change.  _

“Adalyn Maya Smoak-Queen, apologize to your brother now,” Felicity sighs as the back doors of the car open and her eldest two children climb in. William looks annoyed, which is rare for the sweet boy, and Ada looks very wired up, which is a far more common occurrence. 

“You don’t even know what it was about!” Ada immediately huffs, snapping herself into her seatbelt with a sour look and Felicity releases a long breath. She really thought that the toddler years were the worst she was going to go through with her daughter, but these in-between years are really given her a run for her money. 

Thank goodness she has Oliver this time around. 

“I don’t need to know what it was about, speaking to anyone like that isn’t acceptable. If you want to tell William that you didn’t like the way he went about doing something, do so in a calm way so that you are both using your heads and not your instinctive emotions please,” Felicity tells her daughter in a stern voice, smirking to herself a little when both Ada and William groan. 

_ “Momma…”  _

_ “Fliss…” _

“Yes, yes, you both think emotions are gross. Now, William, tell me what happened from your point of view,” Felicity rolls her eyes with what Oliver labels as her ‘mom scoff’, not having the patience today to deal with their preteen villainization of discussing their emotions. 

She wriggles the tale out of them both on the way home. Apparently, William saw Ada and her friends swapping answers on their test that they had today and threatened to tell the teacher about them. Felicity manages to calm the both of them down, explaining to Ada why copying isn’t good for her and getting William to understand exactly why Ada is so upset with him when he perceives himself simply to be following the rules. Felicity’s a little baffled as to why Ada’s even trying to copy anyway, she’s one of the smartest kids in her class, but that question just starts another argument as they pull into the driveway. 

“Because she cares more about what Rebecca and all those other girls think than actually doing the right thing,” William answers before Ada can explain herself and Felicity winces as Ada gasps loudly, whirling on her brother. 

“Just because the only friends you have are that weirdo Jackson boy and me, who has to be your friend because I’m your sister!” 

“ADA!” Felicity gasps, watching as William’s face completely falls and his eyes scrunch up as tears begin to form in them. “Will…” 

Before she can even finish his name, William is out of the car and rushing into the house. Felicity scrambles after him just in time to hear his bedroom door slam and she turns back to scold Ada, only to see her rushing past her and up the stairs as well, the noise of her own door slamming reverberating through the house. Felicity sighs, her shoulders slumping as she clicks the car locked and turns towards the kitchen, seeking moral support before she goes any further with their increasingly hormonal eldest kids. 

She freezes in the doorway, stress immediately melting away at the sight before her as a smile spreads over her face. 

_ “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah, come light the menorah, let's have a party, we'll all dance the horah... _ _ ” _

Oliver is dressed in a shirt and slacks with a flowery apron tied over his clothes, their two-year-old daughter in his arms as he dances around the room, singing along to the childlike voice blaring out of the speakers. The sight of the two of them, baking sufganiyot for the final night of Hanukkah celebration tonight, puts a bright smile on her face. It’s been such a treat this week, watching the way in which their previous traditions have blended so beautifully into one as they walked and talked the kids through lighting the menorah each night. She knows in a few weeks' time, she’s going to be just as emotional watching them all get excited over Santa coming and Christmas, probably for one of the last times considering Ada and William’s age. Something as simple as the sight of Oliver dancing around with Evie as he shares in her culture and even delights in teaching their kids about it has Felicity all emotional. 

“You two have made some progress,” She smiles, alerting the pair’s attention to her present and the way both of their faces light up at the sight of her has her stomach swooping. 

“Momma!” Evie calls out, reaching her arms out towards her, and Felicity chuckles, taking the little girl from her husband’s arms and pressing kisses over the side of her face. 

“Hi baby girl, have you been helping Daddy?” She questions in an upbeat voice, even though it’s clear that her youngest has been very enthusiastic in her assistance. There is flour all over her face and the tiny apron Oliver had the foresight to tie around her is covered in jam and other ingredients. She looks like a tiny little baking bomb has just exploded all over her. 

“Uh-huh! ‘Dey almost ready, Momma!” Evie grins excitedly and Felicity smiles, pressing another kiss to her cheek. 

“That’s amazing, baby, I’m sure Daddy appreciated all your help,” Felicity smiles, pressing another kiss to her hair before she puts her back down on the floor, watching as she toddles over to her toys and happily plops onto the floor, making a car zoom around the hardwood. 

“You okay?” Oliver frowns as he approaches her, wrapping his arms around her, and Felicity sighs, leaning into the comfort his embrace offers. 

“They argued all the way home and Ada just yelled that she’s only friends with William because she’s his sister,” Felicity sighs heavily into his chest, looking up to watch the frown cover her husband’s face. 

“Oh lord, alright. Help me clean the monkey up and we’ll put her down for a nap before we approach them together?” Oliver suggests with a small smile, remaining level-headed as always and Felicity releases a breath of tension, thanking every deity she can think of that she married someone so fully on her side and invested. 

“Thank you,” She smiles and Oliver shakes his head with a smirk of his own, his hands traveling down to gently pinch her butt. 

“You know I always have your back, we’re a team, Smoak-Queen,” He grins and Felicity laughs, shaking her head at his light-hearted tone. 

“That doesn’t rhyme in the way you think it does, mister,” She reminds him for possibly the hundredth time but he just shrugs like he always does. 

“Meh, I’ll take it,” He comments with a smile, bending to press a quick kiss to her lips before he turns to where Evie is happily playing, “Bug, come here!” 

Luckily, Evie is tired enough from staying up to bake with Oliver that she goes does without much of a fuss, sleeping peacefully in her toddler bed within ten minutes and Felicity sighs, smiling at Oliver before she approaches William’s door, knocking gently. Oliver nods and turns around, heading to Ada’s bedroom himself and Felicity smiles, grateful that he seems to always know what she’s thinking before she has to say it. 

“Hey buddy, it’s just me. Can I come in?” She questions softly, rapping on the door and waiting for William’s response before she turns the doorknob.

“Yes,” Comes the soft and clearly emotional answer and Felicity’s heart sinks as she enters the room to find her son curled up in his blankets, tear tracks clearly running down his face. 

“Hey you, is it alright if I sit here?” She asks softly, gesturing to the spot next to his on the bed, and William sniffles, nodding his head. He waits for Felicity to settle before he surges forward, cuddling into her side as a sob leaves his throat. “Oh, sweetheart.” 

“Ada’s a meanie,” He finally sniffles out after a few moments of Felicity rubbing his back soothingly and Felicity resists the urge to chuckle. 

“Hey, Ada loves you… she does, very much, she was just angry that you told on her to me before she had a chance to explain herself,” Felicity tells him softly, smiling gently at him as she gently encourages him to understand where  _ he  _ could’ve reacted better in the situation. Obviously, Ada is the one who needs to apologize but she knows that William also needs to understand that gatekeeping his sister’s each and every move is just going to annoy her and wind her up. 

“It’s dumb, she shouldn’t have cheated and she shouldn’t let them cheat just because they’re popular and she wants to be popular too,” William huffs as he leans into Felicity’s side and she bites the inside of her cheek to hide her smile. It’s a serious situation that they need to properly discuss but William’s always been so transparent and that hasn’t changed as he’s gotten older. 

“You’re right, and I know all of this is just because you’re worried about her, because you love her, right?” She asks with a small smile and William sighs, nodding his head.

“She’s my sister and my best friend,” He states as if it’s the simplest thing in the world and Felicity cannot help but smile. She knows that for William, it  _ is  _ the simplest thing. Ada is his best friend, she has been since they were six years old. There’s nothing more simple than that. 

“I know she is, buddy, and you also know she wouldn’t  _ be  _ your sister if the two of you weren’t such good friends, probably,” Felicity chuckles, thinking about how Oliver and she really only fell in love because of how close their kids got during Ada’s first weeks at Starling Prep Elementary. 

“You and Dad probably would’ve fallen in love anyway,” William shrugs and Felicity chuckles, thinking that maybe he’s right. Maybe Oliver would have had an IT issue that would’ve brought him down to her cubicle and they would’ve met that way, but no matter what, Felicity knows she wouldn’t change any part of their story for the world. 

“Maybe. Nevertheless, I know you’re worried because you care but telling on her to her teachers and to me and your Dad isn’t going to help her realize what she should and shouldn’t do,” Felicity explains softly, not wanting to sound too harsh because he hasn’t really done anything  _ wrong,  _ but she knows he needs help to understand why his actions triggered Ada’s explosive reaction. 

“But shouldn’t we encourage those around us to do the right thing?” William questions, looking up at her with wide eyes and Felicity sighs, her heart aching for her poor, sweet boy. 

“True, but encourage is the keyword in that sentence. You can’t  _ make  _ Ada do anything, bud, believe me, I know that one,” She chuckles, thinking of how obstinate her firstborn has been practically since the day she was born. 

“But what if they’re only being friends with her because she can help them pass?” William frowns, looking up at Felicity concernedly and Felicity frowns. She knows it’s certainly a possibility. Ada’s a very sociable girl and she just wants to be friends with everyone, she always has. Felicity knows that has lead her to be rather popular at school, but as she and William progress through middle school, she also knows that Ada’s willingness to befriend anyone will open her baby girl up to potentially being taken advantage of in the way that school kids do. 

“Well then Ada will realize that they’re not really her friends after all,” Felicity explains with a small smile, brushing William’s hair back from his face. 

“But she’ll be sad,” William states as his frown deepens, looking up at Felicity with such refusal in his eyes that it melts her heart. The bond between her eldest children has always amazed her, the way in which they love and care for each other through even their worst of fights is beautiful and her heart aches for William now. 

“Oh buddy, you can’t protect her from every hurt, there’s going to be a lot of them coming up I’m afraid, just like you’ll have your own hurts too,” She tells him softly with a small smile. It’s something she’s had to come to terms with as a parent, and watching William grapple with it now is like looking into a mirror to back when she first had Ada and struggled to put her down for fear of something hurting her. 

“But… I’m her brother,” William states as if it’s the simplest thing in the world and Felicity smiles, tears forming in her eyes as the sweetness of her son blows her away once again. 

“I know, sweetheart, but you know what that really means?” She asks, continuing to comb soothingly through his hair as he stares up at her with confused eyes. 

“What?” 

“It means being there to help her heal and staying by her side no matter what,” She tells him softly and William frowns for a second before his brow unfurrows and he nods his head. 

“That makes sense,” He comments with a small nod, and Felicity smiles, cuddling into him once more. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” He smiles for a moment, his small nose nuzzling against her shoulder before he frowns. “She still shouldn’t have said those mean things.” 

“And that is exactly what Dad is talking to her about right now,” Felicity assures him with a small smile, watching as he nods and settles into her side again, cuddling into her for a moment. 

They stay like that for a few minutes and Felicity revels in the feeling. She knows it won’t be long and both William and Ada will find these kinds of frequent embraces embarrassing and too childish, so she’s holding onto them as much as she can. She knows it’s a natural part of them growing up but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t find it all a little bittersweet. 

After a few moments, there’s a knock on the door and Oliver appears in the doorway with a rather sheepish looking Ada stood next to him. He encourages her forward with a gentle hand on her back and Felicity urges William to sit up so that he’s sat facing her properly on the bed. 

“I’m sorry I said I was only your friend because you’re my brother. It’s not the truth, Will. You’re my best friend in the whole world and you’re that before you’re my brother. I was just angry but I shouldn’t have reacted so instinctively,” Ada spills out after a long breath, tears playing in her eyes as she looks at her brother and Felicity smiles, knowing that her daughter means every word. She loves William with all her heart, she just has a tendency to speak before she thinks. It’s good to know she and her mother are definitely related in that way. 

“I’m sorry I snitched on you to Fliss and threatened to tell Miss Glass about you helping the others cheat. I just wanted to help you do the right thing but I know I went about it the wrong way,” William says back, both of them shuffling sheepishly where they’re placed and Felicity looks over, catching her husband’s eye with a smirk. 

“I know, I’m sorry. Dad and I talked about that too. I know I shouldn’t have let them copy just so they’d let me hang out. I don’t need friends that only want me because I’m smart,” Ada nods, looking back at Oliver who smiles at her encouragingly. 

“Yeah, people should want to be friends with you because of who you are, because you’re really cool,” William tells his sister, and Felicity chuckles, knowing that means a lot coming from an eleven-year-old. 

“You’re really cool too, Will. Thanks for being the best friend and brother ever,” Ada grins, surging forward to wrap him in a hug and Felicity feels her heart surge. Google, does she love her kids. 

“I love you, Ads,” William tells her as they sway back and forth and Felicity looks over to see tears playing in Oliver’s eyes as well. 

“I love you too,” Ada replies with a smile, hugging him tightly and Oliver and Felicity share a look. Felicity knows her husband’s heart is constricting just as painfully as hers is right now. 

“Well, I’m glad we’re all friends again,” Oliver comments with a smile, pushing off of the doorway and walking properly into the room. Felicity chuckles as the kids simultaneously groan, pulling apart to look at Oliver in disgust. 

“ _ Dad…”  _

“Alright, what do you say we go and wake up Miss Evie and you two can teach her how to play spin the dreidel?” Oliver laughs, looking at them affectionately and chuckling when they immediately perk up at the idea. 

“Yes!” 

“Dad made sufganiyot as well,” Felicity whispers as if it’s a big secret, and both she and Oliver laugh as that has the both of them bolting for the door towards their little sister’s room. 

“Yes!” 

* * *

Hours later, Felicity smiles as she cuddles on the couch with Oliver. The kids are on the floor in front of them, gathered around the coffee table which is littered with the remains of chocolate coins. The blessing said, the menorah is burning with all eight candles lit on the dining table a safe distance away, and Felicity cuddles close to her husband as she watches Ada and William attempt to explain the story of Hanukkah to Evie. 

“So you see Evie, the miracle is that the small amount of oil they had burned for eight whole nights and allowed the Maccabees to take back control of the temple!” 

“And that’s why we light the menorah every year and Momma says the special blessing,” Ada takes over from her brother, smiling down at their baby sister who is sat with her small chubby legs extended before her, evidence of how much joy she’s found in their festivities all around her mouth. 

“Doughnuts!” Evie exclaims happily and Felicity snorts just as she feels Oliver’s chest vibrate with a chuckle. 

“She’s not getting it, Momma,” Ada huffs, looking over at her parents with a frustrated sigh. 

“It’s okay, baby, she’s got a few more years yet. You’re very good at spinning the dreidel though, Eves,” Felicity smiles at her daughters, winking at Ada to cheer her up. It does the trick and the eleven-year-old smiles, shrugging her shoulders as she reaches for her drink. 

“Spin!” Evie grins and Oliver laughs, reaching over to scoop the toddler up and kiss her a few times before he deposits her on the floor once more. 

“Yup, good girl,” He laughs, shaking his head and Felicity laughs too, her heart glowing at being surrounded by those she loves the very most. 

“Come on, Evie-bug, let’s go grab another doughnut,” William smiles, helping his sister up before he takes her over to the table. Ada jumps up to follow, not wanting to be left out from more food and Felicity laughs, cuddling into Oliver once more. 

“They’re the best,” Oliver sighs contentedly and Felicity chuckles, smiling up at him by leaning her chin on his chest. 

“We’re doing okay,” Felicity answers, smiling as Oliver rolls his eyes affectionately. 

“We’re doing more than okay,” He reminds her, leveling her with a look and Felicity laughs. 

“I know one thing,” She comments with a coy smile, shuffling up slightly so that their faces are more level. 

“And what’s that?” Oliver questions, raising an eyebrow in a curious manner. 

“No one else I’d rather be doing it with,” Felicity counters with a smile, it growing to a grin as she watches her husband’s face melt. 

“Me neither, I love you,” Oliver smiles, bending the last few meters to press his lips against hers in a sweet kiss. 

“I love you so much, here’s to many more years to come,” Felicity grins up at him, her hand landing on his chest and she smiles as Oliver instinctively reaches out, brushing his thumb over her wedding ring. 

“Rest of our lives sound good?” He questions with a cheeky grin and a raised eyebrow, making Felicity laugh. 

“Hmm, I’ll think about it,” She poses back, pretending to think deeply but she breaks into laughter as Oliver's fingers dance up her side in the way he knows tickles. 

“Dork,” He retaliates before he presses another kiss to her lips and Felicity laughs as just as they separate, three small bodies jump onto the sofa and pile on top of them, all of them falling into a messy group hug. Felicity knows that as Ada and William, and eventually Evie, grow, they’re going to face even more challenges but she’s confident that they’re strong enough to make it through them all…. Through thick and thin. 


End file.
